“We’re not going to be here long.” That’s because this project isn’t going to work and we can’t afford to stay, or because this project is going to work and we&#… | Continue reading
Quietly, over the last thirty years, engineering has become dramatically more efficient and effective. Insulated glass, cars that don't break down, keyboards with just the right feel to them&#… | Continue reading
Everything moves better in smooth water. Engineers spend a lot of time and energy to avoid cavitation, the often dangerous bubbles that are caused by pumps or propellers. And sailors and surfers pr… | Continue reading
Sports gurus are happy to talk about the difference between fast and slow twitch muscles. And it resonates with us, because we fully understand the ping-pong reflexes that are so often celebrated a… | Continue reading
If we’re seeking to make change, to make a contribution, the outcome is part of the work. If the outcome repeatedly doesn't measure up, we should change what we're doing. And evidence is … | Continue reading
When did you reach the point where you didn't need to read another research report, didn't need to absorb another scouting analysis, didn't need to stop by the bookstore… becau… | Continue reading
The Art of Gathering, by Priya Parker. A long overdue and urgent manifesto for anyone who has the temerity (and generosity) to organize the time and energy of a team in order to call a meeting. The… | Continue reading
Our time is worth something. Too often, though, we’re guilty of spending it foolishly or out of habit, or without intention… despite our lousy track record, though, it is possible to sp… | Continue reading
Six years ago, I wrote, "You don't need more time, you just need to decide." Easy to say, but hard to embrace. Here's what I meant: Deciding is difficult, because decisions brin… | Continue reading
With drama. Make sure the customer knows just how hard you’re working, what extent you’re going to in order to serve. Make a big deal out of the special order, the additional cost, the … | Continue reading
Muhammad Ali was his own hype man, a poet of puff. And it worked. For a few reasons: For a long time, it was true. He was the greatest. It was fun to watch, part of the deal. And, when it ended, an… | Continue reading
Statistics, well done, are astounding. They tell us, clearly and completely, what is actually happening. Ignaz Semmelweis saved a million lives (eventually) with his approach to statistics, despite… | Continue reading
Sriracha hot sauce does it all wrong, of course. The label contains more than five identifiable typefaces. The distribution method was sort of odd. The pricing is way too low. Trademark protection … | Continue reading
“Garbage in, garbage out.” It has a nice ring to it. And engineers have long embraced it as a mantra. If you don’t put the right stuff in, don’t expect to get good results. … | Continue reading
Baseball is not an accurate representation of life. In baseball, batting average matters because the outcome of the game is directly related to the percentage of times each batter gets on base. But… | Continue reading
Make it shorter. No extra points for filling your time. Be really clear about what it’s for. If the presentation works, what will change? Who will be changed? Will people take a different cou… | Continue reading
Totally off topic, a few condiments most people don’t know about that I’m happy to bring to your attention. $5 each will buy you a month’s worth of delight. It’s hard to bea… | Continue reading
A hundred years ago, Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven, the original punk artist, and also a Baroness, created a work of art that caused a sensation. Her friend (put that in air quotes, please) Marcel D… | Continue reading
This has always been a viable position in the marketplace. For freelancers of every kind, it remains the best one. The hard part isn’t charging a lot. The hard part is delivering more than th… | Continue reading
Worth a try if you think it might help the way you talk to yourself (which is worse, certainly, than the way anyone else talks to you). Every time you’re sure you’ve blown it, completel… | Continue reading
There aren’t many fundamental human emotions, and shame is certainly one of them. Shame is usually caused by a collision between our behavior and our culture. Society uses shame to enforce no… | Continue reading
This has always been a viable position in the marketplace. For freelancers of every kind, it remains the best one. The hard part isn't charging a lot. The hard part is delivering more than the… | Continue reading
The world was a twitch away from total nuclear destruction. White bread was a health food. Diabetes and obesity were relatively rare. The newspaper was the way most people heard about the news. We … | Continue reading
Here’s a hint: your work might not be what you think it is. A doctor might think her job is to cure diseases. But in fact, that’s not what gets and keeps patients. The cure is a goal, a… | Continue reading
The unskilled cost accountant might suggest you outfit your new hotel with cheap shower curtains. After all, if you save $50 a room and have 200 rooms, pretty soon, we're talking real money. O… | Continue reading
If you state that force equals mass times velocity, it shouldn't matter who is measuring the force, or whether it's Tuesday or not. Those factors aren't part of your rules, and they … | Continue reading
We often talk about how slow they are. But the speed isn’t the point. The fjord near my house, surrounded by huge cliffs, was formed by a glacier. Not because it was slow, but because it was … | Continue reading
Seven years ago, I shared a secret about juggling: Throwing is more important than catching. If you’re good at throwing, the catching takes care of itself. Emergency response is overrated com… | Continue reading
Often mis-characterized as a day of independence. What actually matters is what you’re going to do with it. It turns out that if you have the power to make rules, the rules are your responsib… | Continue reading
If you’ve got a big bowl of pistachios, it’s worth avoiding the costly error of putting the shells back into the serving bowl. The more you do that, the harder it is to actually find a … | Continue reading
When we were in fifth grade, our options were severely limited. Not so much now. In a world without tests and lowered boundaries (i.e. the world adults like you that read this are living in) we hav… | Continue reading
The paint in the can almost always lasts longer than the aerosol does. The propellant is more difficult to engineer and work with than the stuff it’s propelling. It’s volatile, elusive … | Continue reading
or perhaps, you're looking to improve. You can't do both at the same time. If it's perfect, you can't make it better. But if you don't make it better, you're getting n… | Continue reading
Of course there isn’t one. Ants organize locally. They develop a culture, and that culture gives them the resilience to make them one of the world’s most numerous creatures. Deborah Gor… | Continue reading
We sort people all the time. Society prefers easy, useless ones. Sorts like: Skin color. Gender. Disability status. Nationality. Religious background. Height. While these are easy to do and the res… | Continue reading
There is no market. There are markets. And markets have segments. There are people who enjoy buying expensive wine. There are people who will save up their money to have a big wedding. There are pe… | Continue reading
Make some up. There’s no shame in that. In fact, it’s a brilliant hack. Set up a method of reward or punishment with a third party. Money in escrow that goes to a cause you abhor. Publi… | Continue reading
The original book could take three years to write. Retyping the manuscript might take a day or two. Modern work isn’t time-consuming because it takes a long time to type. Physical constraints… | Continue reading
There’s a common misperception, particularly in media, business and politics, that being a jerk is a necessary ingredient on the way to becoming and staying successful. But there’s no d… | Continue reading
What’s inside the Leaning Tower of Pisa? Nothing. It’s a hollow tube. One of the most iconic buildings in the world is empty. But that’s okay, because the building doesn’t m… | Continue reading
Before you hit send on that next email, perhaps you should run down this list, just to be sure: Is it going to just one person? (If yes, jump to #10) Since it’s going to a group, have I thoug… | Continue reading
All software is held together with patches, shortcuts and cruft. (Many old houses are as well). Don’t be surprised. Expect it. At some point, you’ll need to take a deep breath and pay a… | Continue reading
All software is held together with patches, shortcuts and cruft. (Many old houses are as well). Don’t be surprised. Expect it. At some point, you’ll need to take a deep breath and pay a… | Continue reading
A few years ago, I self-published a workbook called the Shipit Journal. It instantly sold out, so I went back to press two more times, and they sold out as well. The Shipit Journal works for a simp… | Continue reading
That’s what the sign at the airport cafe said. It’s clearly a state of mind. Everyone at the airport is in one of two states: in a hurry, or killing time. The absolute number isn’… | Continue reading
Secret #1 is the biggest one: More bad ideas. The more bad ideas the better. If you work really hard on coming up with bad ideas, sooner or later, some good ideas are going to slip through. This is… | Continue reading
Almost every element of good bread happens long before it goes into the oven. Too often, we spend our time and effort on the exciting last step. And too often, we forget to spend our time and atten… | Continue reading
“Which one do you want?” There were 100 quarts of strawberries at the farmer’s market yesterday. In answer to the farmer’s question, the person ahead of me in line spent a f… | Continue reading